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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29641428">Do You Hate Me?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitKaboodle/pseuds/KitKaboodle'>KitKaboodle</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Borderlands (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha Jack, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Beta Vaughn, CEO Jack, Eventual Smut, Knotting, Little bit of a slow burn, M/M, Omega Rhys, big sexual tension, but - Freeform, but thats ok, copius amounts of slick, forewarning for the nsfw chapter(s), ill add more tags as the chapters progress, ok im done for now, rhys being an absolutely abhorrent needy omega, rhys has crippling student debt, small town rhys</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 20:21:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,796</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29641428</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitKaboodle/pseuds/KitKaboodle</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rhys works in a small mall in the middle of nowhere. His life is simple and boring and just the way he likes it. When the mall is bought by new owners and everything is forced to close Rhys has to decide whether he wants to fight for his rinky-dink job or give in to the attention he's been getting from the CEO of the company that bought his mall. Hyperion.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Handsome Jack/Rhys (Borderlands)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. How to cope with the loss of everything stable in your life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The brown-haired man smiled in contentment, head tilted in mock concentration as the customer he just served left his store. Rhys could say with complete honesty that he loved his job, which isn't something many people felt nowadays. He adored each old lady that visited his store, the way they would endearingly "advise" him to find a good wife to settle down with, the pleasant demeanor of customers when they heard of special discounts and the brightness of the children that came in exclaiming of their trips away, parents smiling in strained exasperation that turned to relief when Rhys would respond with equal luminosity. He was just brushing the imperceptible dust off the table when an announcement made his pulse stop for all of three seconds.</p>
<p>"It is with great regret to announce that the mall will have only a few days of life left; unfortunately, these premises will be demolished, however we appreciate all of the hard work of the various stores in this mall, and every customer's patronage throughout the existence of this establishment. Thank you for your time. Please direct any inquiries to..."</p>
<p>Rhys felt the spear of irritation pierce his mind, an arrow of incense that took over his immediate priorities. <em> His store was in danger. This Omega was on a warpath </em> -that was until he found out that the mall owner's wife had passed away recently. His anger deflated faster than a popped balloon and he morosely made his way back to his humble little shop. All stores had been given instructions for closing, with sudden final sales and deals peppering all of the display windows from every direction. Every <em> "going out of business" </em> sign felt like a silver bolt in his gut.</p>
<p>"Rhys! What's happening to the store?" He turned to the voice, a regular customer from the next town over, <em> Shirley Penn was it? </em> Rhys sent her a downtrodden look.</p>
<p>"The mall is closing Mrs. Penn. Everything has to go. I haven't heard any word from corporate about what’s going to happen to this place," She had been one of his very first customers when he started almost 5 years ago as a simple employee. She was the reason Rhys hadn't quit in his first few days of employment. His arm had given him a lot of trouble when he had first started and five years later now he's a store manager and she's still talking his ear off. He placed his head in his hands and winced at the glare the half-blind woman set on him.</p>
<p>"Well, I guess we'll just have to be patient, hmmm? I'm sure those greedy, money-grubbing, no good, -" Rhys laughed and held up his left hand. She was such a feisty woman and it always drew the happiest feelings a bubble of mirth from the young omega.</p>
<p>"Yeah they'll get what's coming to them. I have no doubt about that," he leaned over the counter, brushed some crumbs from his snack cake off the wood, and once again began listening to her ramble on. Now that he thought about it, Skipper, the mall owner, hadn't said who was buying the mall was purchasing the land from him. Rhys couldn't think of any reason anyone would even want to buy this little ramshackle building in the middle of nowhere. He distantly greeted another customer while occupying Mrs. Penn in front of him, giving her enough attention to register what she was saying. Rhys recalled their conversation as best he could and didn't make any comments on the supposed buyer. He definitely didn't say anything about who or what company it was. It had to be someone with a lot of power, money, and influence over his small little Podunk town. His one track mind could only think of one corporation that would even fit that description. As to why the most powerful company in the entire country would be interested in the mall in the first place baffled Rhys to no end.</p>
<p>"Hyperion!" Rhys didn't bother trying to hide his laughter from his customers.</p>
<p>"Exactly, Hyperion is the only greedy company that would be able to afford-"Mrs. Penn cut him off with a gentle pat to his face while she pointed out the window of his store.</p>
<p>"No Rhysie boy, Hyperion!" She was right. There were black cars pulling up outside with the company's logo on the side. They must have come to negotiate some kind of payment. Those asshole alphas just had to waltz in and do whatever they wanted. It was so unfair. Rhys set himself busy so he wouldn't think much about it. He changed the clothing displays, organized the jewelry racks, and finished putting up those damn signs. Before he knew it, he was closing. He had four days left and he really didn't want to think about finding another job. It wouldn't be hard for him, though. Rhys had gone to school, got a degree or two, and made sure he would be successful in his life. He just hated what was happening to the place he accounted so much of his happiness to.</p>
<p>After shutting and locking the store door, the Omega turned and leaned against it. He tried to quell the rising urge to just cry, opting to just take a deep, shaking breath instead and stepped down to his car. He needed food therapy, needed to drown his problems in tubs of Brownie Batter Core and Mint Chip ice cream. Gathering the last of the energy he would need to go into the grocery store, Rhys headed out of the parking lot and into the direction of the grocery store. Pulling away from the mall he noticed the sleek black <em> Hyperion </em> cars still parked out front. The group of people leaving the mall caught his attention, gaze immediately drawn to the man talking to Skipper. It wasn’t until he turned that Rhys could see his face. All power and threatening aura; Jack Lawrence walked to the cars with the owner. Oh how he wished he could hear what they were talking about. Rhys would probably just end up crying if he attempted to go talk to the powerful Alpha so he just pushed the gas and peeled out of the parking lot with hatred on his tongue. </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>He opened the door to his apartment with an armful of bags from the grocery store. They were all filled with various flavors of ice cream, toppings, and other fatty foods. His roommate, best friend, beta to complete his life, and partner in crime stood and watched him from the hall entering the kitchen.</p>
<p>"Didn't go well I assume?" Vaughn had his arms crossed and the omega just nodded pathetically. He had called his best friend immediately after hearing the news. Vaughn opened his arms and Rhys, all gangly arms and long legs, slumped into the hug. His scent was warming and it gave Rhys a little bit of comfort. "Time to drown our sorrows in ice cream and Criminal Minds?" Rhys gave another limp nod and pointed to the bags. "Shit Rhys how many flavors did you get?"</p>
<p>"I don't even remember. Like 10?" Even he hated how deplorable his own voice sounded. Vaughn snorted in what sounded like disbelief and nudged the Omega towards the table. Rhys slumped into one of the kitchen chairs and smacked his head on the table. "I just couldn't stop Vaughn; they all looked so good. Don’t give me that look," The beta had his eyebrow raised. Concern and curiosity was written plainly on the expression he wore. He could smell the worry in Vaughn’s detergent-like scent. Rhys rolled his head to the side and looked up at the Beta.</p>
<p>"How much were you even planning to eat?" Rhys wanted to scream. Instead he opted for a long, drawn out groan as he stayed slumped on the table. He didn't tell Vaughn that he wanted to eat it all that night. He knew that the Beta already knew the answer to his question.</p>
<p>Their night consisted of ice cream and Criminal Minds, as Vaughn promised. It helped a lot and the omega didn't once think about the impending doom that was his job. The morning brought a sense of dread, however. Rhys had 3 more days of the week the mall had been given for preparation. He was dreading every second of the day. He didn't want to have to tell the ladies that came in that his store was closing. He didn't want to close those doors for the last time. He ended up sulking when he came out of his room. Vaughn had made him breakfast which lifted his mood significantly, but the dark cloud still hung and threatened to downpour over his head.</p>
<p>"You need to be happy these last days, Rhys. You're going to find something else you enjoy just as much and hey, there's always a chance they'll just move your store," Rhys gave a hopeful sigh as he shoveled the pancakes and eggs into his mouth. He could always count on the beta to cheer him up.</p>
<p>"Thanks Vaughn, seriously." The beta made a 'don’t worry about it' motion with his hand and looked at his watch.</p>
<p>"Devour your food faster or you're gonna be late," The Omega looked at the clock and almost choked on his mouthful of breakfast. He shoved the entire half of the pancake that was left in his mouth and jumped up. Rhys had his coat and shoes on in record time. He gave Vaughn a wave before practically flying out the door.</p>
<p>The drive there hadn't been as bad as it could have been. He found a playlist he liked and put it on, singing along because he was alone and he could do whatever the hell he wanted to. There were plenty of Hyperion cars parked around the mall when he got there and Rhys just rolled his eyes. When he unlocked his store, he went about setting things up. The Omega had decided to bring donuts and set up his coffee machine for the customers. He wanted to show them just how much he appreciated the regulars, just as much as the new ones who came in every so often. After setting the table up he flicked the lights on and opened the front doors. The smell of brewing coffee drifted from his store and the omega retreated back to make himself a cup before the day started.</p>
<p>The more the day passed, the less he thought about his store closing. His customers were making him smile and laugh with their stories. They were enjoying the table he set out and praised him for his choice in snacks and desserts. It wasn't long before he started to notice men in expensive looking suits walking outside in the mall. The Omega wasn't stupid; he knew exactly who they were and what they were doing. He had half a mind to stomp out there and make a scene, but something told him that it probably would be a worse outcome than he wanted.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The evening rolled around quickly, most of the snacks gone by then and just a few people trickling in and out of the mall. Rhys was ringing up a sweet old woman who smelled like rose petals and honey dew when a large group of the suited men passed his window. </p>
<p>Against his better judgement, Rhys looked up when the voices grew louder, getting closer to his open doors. Handsome Jack himself was passing his windows.The omega wouldn’t be ashamed to admit he stared a little. Jack was an Alpha, a powerful CEO, the very being that every omega and even beta dreamt about. Of course, Rhys wanted to wring his fucking neck, but that’s beside the point. </p>
<p>As he was about to finish ringing up his customer their gazes met. Rhys would have said it was a <em> 'love at first sight' </em> kind of deal, had it not been for his pure hatred for the man. Jack just stood there and stared at him. The look the alpha gave him through the glass of the window made Rhys want to hide forever. Rhys watched him speak into his phone and hang up immediately. Oh god. Oh god he was turning around. Rhys was quick to wrap up the customer he was dealing with, sending her on her. The Omega turned to put the cash in his drawer. When he spun back around he was greeted with- and he’s just being honest here- the most handsome man he had ever seen. No pun intended.</p>
<p>"Well hey there sweet cheeks," Rhys wanted to melt. He was sure he was going to pass out. The alpha's scent was so powerful in his nose. It took him a second to realize why Handsome Jack was in the mall in the first place. Rhys crossed his arms over his chest and glared. He had to wrangle a hold of his annoying instincts before meeting the gaze of the Alpha. Jack’s scent alone was enough to make the Omega dizzy, but for some reason, seeing his gaze locked so intently on himself was worse. His brain was definitely struggling to remember why he was supposed to be angry in the first place. Fucking hormones. </p>
<p>Rhys cleared his throat and stood his ground with his hip cocked. What was Jack doing in his store anyway? He obviously wasn’t going to be shopping for little old lady clothes, so...</p>
<p>"Wow, so nice of <b><em>The</em></b> <b><em>Handsome Jack</em></b> to pay a visit to my humble establishment. I'm so excited. Can I help you find something or are you just here to gloat about your newest big purchase to a little store owner?" his tone was dead and he was angered to find that it only made Jack smile wider. Of course the Alpha wouldn’t find him threatening at all. Vaughn had even told him back in college that Rhys had the physical imposition of a kitten. He probably cried.</p>
<p>"Hey now cupcake, I can sense some hostility here," he raised his palms up in what Rhys hoped was defeat. "You've got some gorgeous eyes there babe. What's a cutie like you doin' working in a store like this? Hell, what are you doing in this shit hole of a town?" Rhys scoffed at his arrogance. Jack really had no idea of what it meant to be sentimental. Yeah, the Omega was smart. He had gone to school for computer engineering and robotics. When he had started working here it was meant to be a temporary situation to pay for college and the crippling student debt. Rhys had ended up falling in love with the area and the people in it. After Vaughn finished and graduated they decided to make their home more permanent and chose to stay in the small town. The Omega loved his home, small and boring as it was.</p>
<p>“Not that I owe you any explanation, sir,” he hoped he sounded as pissed off as he felt, though with the way Jack was still grinning down at him he was losing steam every second. “I moved here after college to pay my absolutely crippling student debt. The place just kinda stuck. Which is why this?” He gestured around him, to both Jack and the store. “This thing you’re doing that’s putting people out of jobs and all that cool shit? It sucks. You suck,” The Omega couldn’t believe he was actually still talking. He thought for sure at that point all Vaughn would be able to remember him by were his missing posters after Jack killed him. The CEO laughed. <em> The CEO of the most powerful company to exist fucking </em> <b> <em>laughed</em> </b> <em> at him. </em>Rhys snarled at him and leaned over the counter of his register.</p>
<p>"With absolutely no respect intended; I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I have customers to take care of," Rhys cringed at the way his voice shook slightly. Jack stopped laughing with that statement, eyebrow arched high in curiosity. His scent changed, nearly knocking the Omega over. Rhys had to lean on the counter slightly because of what it did to him. Jack winked at him and reached over the counter to slip a card into his breast pocket.</p>
<p>"You’re a feisty little thing," a pause from Jack as he read Rhys' name tag "Rhys,” the Alpha turned on his heel and gave a little wave, leaving the positively fuming Omega to clench his fists in anger to fight the urge to follow and punch him. “We’ll be seeing more of each other, cupcake. Don’t doubt that for a second! I’ll be back with some contractors tomorrow, maybe we can talk about relocating your little old lady store, yeah?” Rhys paused for a moment. Had he heard that right? Jack wanted to relocate him? Surely it was all talk, just something the Alpha was doing to make him complacent. Well it wasn’t going to work.</p>
<p>Once he was gone Rhys planted himself on his counter. He pulled the card out of his pocket and ripped it up, tossing it in the trash when he was pleased with the tiny pieces.</p>
<p>"Stupid greedy asshole alpha," he grumbled to himself focusing on keeping his mind on track for the rest of the night and focusing on his closing duties. He kept getting distracted, thoughts just floating non stop to the stupid grin Jack had on his face the entire time they talked. Rhys growled to himself and shook his head. Stupid fucking idiot Alpha. Asshole. He was a greedy, money-hungry, power-thirsty, knotheaded Alpha. Why was Rhys so stuck on him? </p>
<p>Slamming the back door to the store, the Omega locked it and spun around to his car. He slammed that door as well. He texted Vaughn about his encounter before revving the engine of his baby and heading home to his comfort place. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. What do you do when your boss is actually the world's biggest trash heap</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Well, at least the guy was going to get what he deserved?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning offered no more hope for Rhys than the two days before. He had two more days left to try and come up with something to save his store and he was still falling rather short. When he set about opening the store for the day, he noticed that there was a particular scent that still clung in the air. It filled him with a rage he hadn’t ever felt before. Jack. The fact that the Alpha’s scent still lingered in the air told a lot about just how powerful he really was. Rhys tried to mask the smell with some cheap air freshening spray and a candle lit on his register counter.  The scent of spice and power still clung to his nose. It didn’t smell absolutely incredible. Nope. Not one bit. Rhys didn’t like it at all.<br/>
He lit a second candle.</p><p><br/>
It didn’t really help.</p><p> <br/>
The day passed slowly and honestly the Omega was thankful for it. The sluggish pace and the fact that there weren't many customers on Tuesdays made for a good planning day. He had already made more than his quota for the day, so he was proud, just taking the last few dragging hours to relax and plan his future moves. Rhys found himself thinking about what Jack had said the day before, about potentially moving his store out of the mall. What if he was serious? Could Rhys just let that happen, forget the mall and let Jack demolish the lot for god knows what? The Omega couldn’t imagine himself just leaving everyone else to fend for themselves, letting them scrounge for ways to make ends meet while he was still living the good life in his own little shop. Rhys may have a mean streak, but he cared about the town and those he knew.  If the mall went down, he was going to go down with it. </p><p><br/>
 He sighed heavily and slumped over the counter in his chair before looking up at the dinging of the front bell. </p><p><br/>
“Hi, welcome to Bon Bons. If there’s anything I can do for you let me know,” Rhys called out, still looking at his phone screen at the outline of a plan he had written out. When he didn’t hear a response, his gaze flicked up to see the man of his aggressions standing smugly. Rhys’ smile melted quickly into an annoyed glare. “What do you want?” He crossed one leg over the other, not even bothering to stand for the Alpha. </p><p><br/>
“Hello to you too, kitten. Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot yesterday,” Rhys scoffed and rolled his eyes. No shit they hadn’t become fast friends. Jack still looked so fucking proud of himself and it made Rhys even more pissed off. Where did the Alpha get off thinking Rhys wanted civility of any kind? The Alpha crossed his arms and pushed further, leaning against the top part of his counter. “I really think we could work out a deal here, try and save this moth ball fest if it makes ya happy,” Rhys just stared up at him. His glare hardened. </p><p><br/>
“I’m not interested in your deals unless it saves the whole mall. There are good people here and you’re just fucking their lives up with your little demolition project,” If Jack hadn’t killed him yet with the way Rhys talked to him yesterday, he figured he had a pretty good chance of surviving at this point. The Alpha’s gorgeous eyes, smug smirk, and enticing scent be damned; Rhys was on a warpath and he was going to get his way no matter what. “Until you do something for all of them too, then I don’t need to hear what you have to say,” He tilted his head up and away to try to get the Alpha to leave. Jack chuckled darkly at him, leaning over the counter. </p><p><br/>
“Rhys, Cupcake, Doll face,” Jack reached across the gap and tilted Rhys’ head back with a grip on his chin. “I always get what I want babe, and one of those things is you,” his gaze was dark, filled with determination. It definitely didn’t send a shiver down the Omega’s spine. His voice for sure didn’t make his heart pick up, pulse bumping up into his throat. The overpowering scent one hundred percent didn’t cause his face to heat up and his inner omega melt. Nope. </p><p><br/>
“No thanks,” Rhys knew his voice was weak, not imposing in the slightest as he tried to keep his dignity and fight for his confidence back. </p><p><br/>
“Oh, I’m not asking,” Jack purred to the Omega, his hand moving to cup Rhys’ cheek. “I have a meeting to get to with your little, small town boss man, but when I’m done you and I are gonna have a little chat,” He spun on his heel and headed back out the door, raising his hand in a wave just like the night before. Rhys sat perfectly still in his chair, pheromone-stupid brain trying to keep up with whatever the fuck just happened. He took a shaky breath and combed a hand through his hair. He could close early, act like the conversation had never even happened. He could go home and take a nice, hot, relaxing bath and probably demolish himself thinking about the Alpha. </p><p><br/>
The more rational side of his brain told him that he should probably stay and at least hear Jack’s proposal. Of course, he didn’t really know what it would entail. Maybe Jack had plans to save the mall and not just Rhys’ store. The Omega wanted to have as much hope and optimism as he possibly could, but it was discouraging when your hard work was heading toward the dumpsters marked with a big yellow ‘H’. The process of trying to use his rational brain and not his ‘fuck me stupid mister Handsome Jack sir’ brain was tiring. He wasn’t sure what his next move was going to be, whether he would stay or go home and hide. As forward as Jack was, he didn’t seem like the type who was going to take advantage of Rhys or anything along those lines. His scent was enticing, but it didn’t smell unsafe. Jack smelled like power, honestly, dark and seductive. Rhys felt like he was at least going to be safe if he spoke to the Alpha alone. Sucking up his self-pity and anger he felt towards the Alpha, Rhys made the decision to at least stay and hear what he had to say. </p><p><br/>
After he had officially closed the store for the night, he focused on packing some of the things he knew weren’t going to sell. Jewelry and all the clearance shirts that had been on the racks for months were wrapped and packed into boxes. He would take them all to the women's center in the morning. Half an hour into cleaning and packing his shoulder began to ache, so Rhys took a little break. He rolled the mechanical limb, wincing slightly at the various clicks and whirs that sound from his actions. He would need replacement parts soon, probably some new code written for it too. The feeling of your muscles and bone being ripped from the socket is just never a feeling you forget. Rhys was pulled out of his thoughts by a knock on the window. <br/>
Showtime.</p><p><br/>
The Omega stood up and stretched a bit before sliding over to the front doors. Jack greeted him with a power-hungry smirk, all cocky confidence and dark desire. Rhys eyed him with disdain and opened the doors a little wider. “I’m giving you ten minutes. Nothing more. If you can’t convince me to go along with whatever you have planned by the time it's up, then you leave,” Rhys set the boundaries quickly, stepping aside to let Jack into the small store.</p><p> <br/>
“Oh kid, trust me, I’m only gonna need 5 to blow your freakin’ mind,” Rhys couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the annoying confidence exuding from the Alpha. Jack had enough power to do whatever he wanted and act however he pleased. It may have been irksome to deal with, but Rhys had been through enough knot-headed Alphas in college to know how to handle himself. </p><p><br/>
“Ten minutes, Handsome. Your time starts now,” Rhys held up his cybernetic hand with a clock ticking down, his expression very unimpressed. “Tick Tock,” Jack just gave him a chuckle, plopping his ass down on the counter. </p><p><br/>
“Alright Rhysie, here’s the deal,” the Alpha crossed his arms as he began. He suddenly looked real serious and damn it if it didn’t send a shiver down Rhys’ spine. “This town is a real shit hole. Your boss is a big corrupt mother fucker and when I got news of what was goin’ on down here, I made this decision easy. Y'see kid, ol’ Skipper out there sitting high and mighty in his chair, rolling around in dirty money, he did some fucked up shit to get this place,” The Alpha in front of him was visibly angry and Rhys didn’t really know what to do with the information he was being given. Skipper was kind of a sleaze, sure, but Rhys had never sensed anything cryptic about him. Rhys motioned for Jack to continue. “He’s been laundering money out of this place for nearly three years. And I’m not talking about a couple hundred here and there, I mean the big bucks. Thousands. Every single month,” Jack nodded his head as he hopped off the counter, telling Rhys to follow him. </p><p><br/>
“I had no idea. I knew the mall was losing money, but...” The Omega trailed off in thought, processing the information he was being fed. “I didn’t realize that was the reason,” Rhys crossed his arms after locking the store doors behind him. </p><p><br/>
“Yeah, real standup guy that one. So, once I caught wind of what was going on behind the scenes, I knew I had to do somethin’,” They walked through the empty halls of the mall as Jack continued explaining. “I’ve done shit I’m not proud of. Double crossed and stabbed a lot of people in the back. But that mother fucker, that sick son of a bitch?” Rhys recoiled slightly at the acrid scent the Alpha was putting out. It nearly burned his nose when he breathed it in. Why was Jack so angry?  They stopped in front of the main office of the mall. It was a room Rhys hadn’t been into in quite some time, not since he was hired really. “Your boss was blackmailing the teenage employees,” Jack kicked the door in –yes, legitimately kicked the fuckin door- and gestured inside. Rhys stepped in slowly and flicked the light switch on. The sight shocked him. Pictures hanging on the walls, strewn out on the desk and the floor. The Omega felt nauseous. “See all this? This is the reason I bought this shitty little mall. I’m gonna demolish it right in front of that little weasel and watch all his hard work go down the fucking drain,” Rhys had to back out of the room. He couldn’t bare to look at the pictures anymore. They all looked so scared and nervous.</p><p><br/>
“All this time...” Rhys hugged himself and leaned against the wall. So many years he hadn’t noticed what was going on. He remembered the way the younger employees in the mall always being afraid of the boss and now he knew why. The Omega felt so sick knowing he could have done so much to help but didn’t know. </p><p><br/>
“No need to feel bad, Cupcake. The man was a scumbag, and I say that while also being the world’s biggest scumbag,” Jack wore that stupid smirk still and Rhys just wanted to punch it off him. He couldn’t argue though. “So that’s why I’m buying the mall. And get this kitten, I want to give you the little store you deserve. Something uniquely you,” The Alpha stepped closer to Rhys, boxing him in against the wall. God, Jack was so close to him Rhys could smell his fancy cologne. It was a different smell than his natural scent and honestly? Rhys liked Jack’s more natural pheromone scent better. “So, how did I do? Did I convince you to give your little shop up?” Rhys sighed, watching Jack’s eyes dance with mischief. </p><p><br/>
“Do you have a plan for all the other people in the mall? I can’t just let them go down with the ship,” the Omega sighed and shook his head. As much as he wanted to abandon the mall now with the knowledge he had, he just couldn’t leave everyone else to suffer. They didn’t know what he did. To them, this was just their paychecks they were losing. </p><p><br/>
“Okay, I’ll make you a deal right here right now, Babe,” Jack leaned in closer. So close Rhys could smell the cinnamon gum he had been chewing. “You have two days left until we start demolition. Two days to decide. I wanna take you out on a nice little date, pamper you, show you a little bit of the good life. That sound good princess?” Rhys knew his face was probably beet red at that point. Why the hell was Jack even interested in him in the first place? Rhys was just a small town, boring Omega with a few fancy parts. Still.. he wouldn’t think too hard about it. Maybe Jack saw something in him that Rhys himself didn’t. “If I can’t convince you to drop this shitty town and come live with me, then I won’t demolish the mall,” The Alpha looked more serious then than ever before. Rhys swallowed nervously and nodded. He knew Jack had dodged his original question, but, against his own better judgment, he considered the offer. Rhys was staring, shock written on his face.</p><p>"You want to... take me out to dinner? Why?" It was Jack's turn to stare at him. His eyebrows had shot high as if to silently ask Rhys if someone had dropped him as a pup.   </p><p>"Okay. Obviously, you're a little star struck at the great Handsome Jack being so damn close, right? It's gotta be pretty god damn intimidating huh, cupcake? Your poor little omega heart just can't take it? I'll just give you a minute to take it all in," Rhys wanted to feel insulted but he just kept repeating the words Jack had said before.   </p><p>"Like... a date? You want to take me out on a date?" Jack clapped his hands, startling the omega a little. Rhys wouldn’t be ashamed to admit, years down the line, that the alpha's smile at the moment was the most incredible thing he had seen all day.  </p><p>"Yes Rhys, darling, like a date," He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world and suddenly Rhys felt like even more of an airhead.</p><p><br/>
“Alright, it’s a deal,” Rhys nodded and instantly Jack's expression melted into a more relaxed one. He seemed almost relieved and Rhys couldn’t help but wonder why. Did Jack really think he would say no? Rhys may be angry with him still, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew women and men alike would kill for a chance like this, plus… he was kind of starting to warm up to his charms. “If you can convince me to leave this town I will. I’ll come live with you, be yours,” Jack growled low in his chest. It seemed Rhys' words triggered a more possessive side of the Alpha and Rhys kinda liked it. </p><p><br/>
Kinda like it… a lot.</p><p><br/>
“Shit I’ll even open you up a brand new store. All yours, all your own shit. You can pick and choose babe,” Jack grinned and took a hold of Rhys’ flesh hand. He pressed the knuckles to his lips in a soft kiss. “I’ll be by tomorrow at 7. Text me the address before I have to dig it out of Skipper's files,” Rhys watched the Alpha walk away, his brain replaying what had transpired over the last like 10 minutes. He was going on a date with The Handsome Jack! Oh wait until Vaughn heard about it, or even worse… what Skipper was doing.</p><p> <br/>
Rhys somehow mindlessly found his way back to his car to start it up and drive home. He panicked a little when he realized he didn’t have Jack's number, so he couldn’t tell him the address. Reaching into his pocket for his house keys, he felt something else. Rhys lifted it up to his face after turning the interior lights on.<br/>
A card.</p><p><br/>
It was a small business card with Jack's name and face all over it. Rhys shook his head with a grin.</p><p><br/>
That asshole.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Rewriting this whole thing from basically scratch has been a doozy. I had 3 chapters partially written when I started this thing in 2018 and it felt so rushed, so I changed some stuff around. It feels better now, but still not perfect. Thank you all for sticking around so far!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is a story I started almost two years ago and was writing with a dear friend. He may not ever read the completed product, but I wanted to finish it. (:<br/>Updates won't be incredibly fast, maybe once a week! Thank you in advance for reading! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I loved writing it.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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